eBay

raphael@ebay.com · ‎11-23-2016

Hello everyone,

Welcome to our weekly chat. This week, the thread will remain open until tomorrow as usual.

Open issues:

Browse pages and Search pages showing different results for same category
"Apply my Combined Shipping Discounts" option unavailable on Revise
Incomplete ID History
Link to Community located on Feedback page points to eBay.com
Some Search pages show watchers, some don't
Items missing from combined invoice
Request Total unavailable

Updates:

Search results page shows shipping costs inconsistent with what's on the item pages - Shipping team working to fix
Shipping Calculator returning erroneous rates - Report sent to Pitney Bowes and Canada Post for investigation
RESOLVED - Economy Shipping from Outside the US giving wrong EDDs (7-14 biz days instead of 11-23)
Selling limits live items count discrepancy - We are investigating further.
Missing Tracked Packet destinations - still no update from PayPal and Pitney Bowes
Combined shipping offers not shown to international buyers - ticket open

If anything is missing, please let me know. Thanks!

raphael@ebay.com · ‎11-24-2016

@theodoreides wrote:

There continues to be an issue when printing the order details using Chrome. The font is tiny when printed. When using IE the print size is normal. This has been happening for several weeks now.

Steps are: My Ebay, Sold, View Order Details, Printer Friendly, Print.

Any ETA on fixing this Issue?

Hi theodoreides,

Sorry, I don't have an update on this. I recommend adopting a work around for the time being.

raphael@ebay.com · ‎11-24-2016

@dustmite007 wrote:

Thanks for your reply. I still don't understand what to do as I have never had a return before. Where do I go to make a label? It has to be through Canada Post with Tracking. How can I send him money to ship it back when I don't know how much it costs? I don't have the dimensions & weight for the box anymore. So how can you make a label without that information?

Happy to help! It's probably best to just send the buyer some shipping money via PayPal at this point.

raphael@ebay.com · ‎11-24-2016

@dustmite007 wrote:

Phoned eBay & they said you can't do it through PayPal but need to go to a Post Office. Then I phoned PayPal & they told me to click a certain box under seller preferences so that the buyer can make the label himself.

What you were told is true but only if you're a US seller on eBay.com dealing with a return from a US buyer. The CS teammate who told you this probably didn't notice that you weren't a US seller.

raphael@ebay.com · ‎11-24-2016

@jt-libra wrote:

Congratulations Raphael! The new team will be fortunate to have you. You've been so helpful, and so patient, and you've always made it easy for us to ask questions without being made to feel foolish. You'll be missed.

Hi jt-libra,

It's truly heart warming to read your and others' comments. Thank you for the kind words, and know that I'll miss chatting and helping you all too! Who knows, perhaps I'll make the occasional cameo here and there... 🙂

@jt-libra wrote:

I have one question. For those of us who are registered on .ca but list on .com, either exclusively or on both, are we no longer eligible to receive promotions for listings on .com? Many sellers, including myself, have not received other than .ca promotions for many months and, while I don't like to kick a gift-horse in the mouth, I have very few items listed on .ca. I keep thinking .... maybe the next one, or the next one. If I knew for sure that we were to be forever excluded, I can stop being hopeful

Thanks Raphael.

As you know I don't have much visibility on the long term strategy for promos, but I kind of do see a trend where the campaigns are getting more and more compartmentalized by site, and it does happen that sellers are unduly selected according to site of registration instead of their country of residence. In my opinion, the latter is more accurate but there may be strategic reasons why a promo could be set up otherwise. Unfortunately it's not up to me. One thing that I almost sure of though, is that you will continue to get included in CA promos.

i.am.vivian · ‎11-24-2016

raphael@ebay.com wrote:
http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Buying-on-eBay/Why-are-there-two-different-Estimated-Delivery-Date-deadl...

Hi i.am.vivian,

The only way a seller can change the EDDs on their listings is by adding days to their handling time. Beyond that, the system calculates the EDDs based on item and buyer location + the shipping service selected.

Thank you for responding to my message. In this example then, does this mean that the correct eBay generated date for a claim was truly the December 12 and not November 18?

rose-dee · ‎11-24-2016

raphael@ebay.com wrote:
Allow me to start by sorting a few things out. Most importantly, it should be noted that it is not eBay's mandate to enforce the CASL law beyond our interaction with our own customers. In other words, it's not our place to tell sellers whether they can or can't contact buyers under CASL. With that said, we do have a fee avoidance policy which says a seller shouldn't be directly contacting buyers whom they met via an eBay transaction in an attempt to conduct business outside of eBay.

What I'm trying to illustrate is, these are two separate things and shouldn't be confused as being connected in any way. the Canadian government enforces CASL, eBay enforces its own policies. I hope that clears any contradiction concerns.

So, the question whether sellers are allowed to email buyers after a first transaction needs to be looked at from two different angles. From an eBay policy standpoint, it would be considered fee avoidance since the original connection was made via eBay. We would expect fees for the service of connecting the two parties in order to make a sale/purchase. From an anti-spam law standpoint, that's not eBay's place to regulate or enforce, so if a buyer had concerns that they are being spammed by a seller, they would need to report that to the appropriate authorities. I posted a link to the government website for CASL in my response to Maureen's post on this topic.

I realize and appreciate that you are in a position where you must represent and protect eBay, so I understand this response, but it doesn't address the issue I raised.

The two rules (eBay's internal policies and the CASL) are very much connected if there is a clash in real life situations. Let me provide an example.

An eBay seller is downgraded (or ejected) by eBay as a result of complaints by buyers about being contacted (entirely outside of eBay, i.e. through private email) at some point after a transaction. The seller loses income as a result and applies to a court of appropriate jurisdiction to make a ruling based on the permissive provisions of CASL, presumably for reinstatement as a seller on eBay. The seller would most likely win that case.

So the issue as I see it is not the fact of the post-transaction contact itself, but whether contact took place within eBay (or using its facilities) or completely outside. The following suggests that eBay's rules would take precedence over CASL, even if the post-transaction contact were entirely outside eBay, merely because the email address of the buyer originated in the eBay transaction. If so, eBay's internal policies are in contradiction with Canada's laws. There is only one angle -- Canada's laws -- that can pertain.

"So, the question whether sellers are allowed to email buyers after a first transaction needs to be looked at from two different angles. From an eBay policy standpoint, it would be considered fee avoidance since the original connection was made via eBay."

As for fee avoidance, I don't recall sellers having to sign a perpetually applicable non-disclosure agreement (a legal nullity in any event), nor even a time-limited one. As I see it, this is the risk a site like eBay must take if it wants to do business -- sellers provide eBay with product, advertising (listings) and service to buyers, and eBay provides buyer information to facilitate those transactions. It can't hang on to those connections forever. Frankly other selling venues have never been quite as paranoid on this score as eBay has been for many years.

By the way, I'm not intending to put you on the spot with this. I know the only answer you can give must protect eBay's interests. I just want to state that there is a legal discrepancy here that only an independent authority would be in a position to address fairly, and that that is my view of this issue. Unfortunately, there is not yet enough case law on the subject to provide a clear answer.

raphael@ebay.com · ‎11-24-2016

@thebluetortoise wrote:

Please advise when monthly seller billings will actually be accurate. I usually see the fee credits, but not the fees, so the bill actually looks like eBay should be paying ME (which is correct in some months) but there is ALWAYS a charge to me. Please advise, because I am spending hours and days trying to figure out what you guys are doing. It should be transparent and easy.

Thanks.

Hi thebluetortoise,

Billing, in my experience, is always accurate. I'm not saying this lightly.

I'm not meaning to dismiss your concerns, I'm happy to look into any discrepancy you find on your monthly invoice. I will however require a lot more details than what you're giving me right now. Could you send me an email as I prefer not going too deep into a seller's invoice on a public forum.

raphael@ebay.com · ‎11-24-2016

@musicyouneed wrote:

Hi Raphael, Congratulations on your new job and new place to work. Good luck to you.

On shipping, I would like to see economy shipping for other areas besides Canada. I use it for Canada but would like to use it for international and US.

Hi musicyouneed,

Thanks for the kind words 🙂

I have a standing request with the shipping team for adding Economy Int'l Shipping on eBay.ca, but it's unlikely that they will be able to accommodate until 2017.

ypdc_dennis · ‎11-24-2016

@cumos55 wrote:
Am I the only one that sees this difference?

You're the only one complaining about it.

You have to go back (I believe) to the spring of 2014 when ebay.com removed the 5 cent promo from media items. And since many of eBay.ca help files are copy and paste from ebay.com details got muddled.

-..-

tobyshitzu · ‎11-24-2016

ebay has recently made a change to media listing that makies it much more difficult

"

The stock photo from the eBay catalogue won't appear in your listing because the condition of this item is not new.

"

Media items were specifically exempted from the "stock photo" on used items being the photo is just the cover art. The competing site puts all the new and used items as one entry with one picture. Why woulfd ebay do this, it will make listing a bunch of used games etc take much longer with pics that will be the same thing anyway?

cumos55 · ‎11-24-2016

All listings on eBay must follow picture policy

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/policies/picture.html

This policy starts with the following statement

Photos are one of the most important parts of a listing. Pictures let buyers see details that you can't put in words, and allow them to form accurate expectations around their purchases. Including clear and detailed photos of your items will help you to keep buyers happy by letting them see exactly what they will be getting. We require at least one photo in your listing, but suggest that you include many clear pictures of your item.

And then comes what is NOT ALLOWED as a photo for a listing

--- Including photos that don't accurately represent the item for sale.

--- Placeholder images used to convey messages, such as no image available, stock availability, or other marketing messages

--- Stock photos for used, damaged or defective item

Stock photos are for Brand New items.... all categories on eBay

Bookseller will use the same stock photo for the same book whether its is in a very good , good or acceptable condition.... and the same stock photo for a ex-library book.

Booksellers with hundreds of thousands of book regularly list without a photo, or make up a photo that appears in many listings.

There is one bookseller that has the same image that effectively says the equivalent of photo not available for all of the listings on eBay... that is close to 200,000 listings

There are well over 50 sellers of books on eBay with listings with no photo or the made up photo or a no photo available statement...

These listings do not follow picture policy.

The biggest violators of picture policy each has the largest number of books on eBay ..

My estimate of the number of listings in the book category that violate picture policy is well over 3 million.

------------------------------------------------------

The relationship between Duplicates and picture policy creates a big problem on eBay... A seller will put up three listings... with three books in very good, good or acceptable condition ... but the same stock photo is used in all three listings.... The fact that the same stock photo is used in all three listings makes these Duplicates with no real difference among the three listings indicated......

-----------------------------------------

These book sellers that violate picture policy on eBay's main site should be directed to half.com

http://www.half.ebay.com/

This is eBay's site for books.

It is very difficult for someone doing a search for books on eBay to determine what is being sold, and the absolute condition of the book. Without a photo of the book a potential buyer of a book is put in a difficult position....

--------------------------------------------

Today, the book category on eBay is an absolute mess because of all of the violations of picture policy. About a dozen sellers of books have been removed from eBay.... About 30 more should be escorted directly to half.com, while the remaining of about 20 to 30 should be given time to clean up their listings.

The single biggest violator of picture policy has just opened a second store on eBay... This violator lists about 65 % of the listings in books that violate picture policy whether directly or in relation to the presence of several listings of the same book.... which is Picture policy in relation to Duplicate policy.

A major clean up is needed in the book category on eBay where eBay.com, eBay.ca or elsewhere.....

Over the next week Raphael will be getting links to the worst offenders, that is book sellers, of picture policy.

cumos55 · ‎11-24-2016

If the fee Illustrator on eBay Canada is in error it should be corrected.

I know it is in error... but will someone new to eBay understand what is not correct......

tobyshitzu · ‎11-24-2016

Ebay has made this change within the past few days (dont know exctly what day. Media items were always exempt and the stock photo has always been inserted using the catalog until some point this month. 100% positive.

cumos55 · ‎11-24-2016

Violations of Picture Policy have made the Book category a total mess.....

Basically it is a misuse of the Stock photo... and then the use of the stock photo with books differing in condition...

Condition as ...Very good... good..... acceptable..... and then the sale of ex-library books.... this could make four listings all with the same stock photo

The very large stores.... and in one instance a group of up to 5 stores... all do the same with respect to violations... whether it be Picture Policy... of Picture Policy in relation to Duplicate policy.

Their largest numbers of listings appear to be for ex-library books.

Their feedback on eBay is totally sick with negatives... customer service is not to be found...

These sellers all belong on Half.com... and some are already there doing their thing but in a much easier way... and away from eBay's main site.

What eventually happens is a potential buyer will not buy if the listing is priced ....

at less than $10 ... has a stock photo ... or is ex-library...

It was about 8 years ago a seller listed about 100,000 books on eBay.... all at less than $5.00 each... and the few listed at higher and close to $1,000 prices could be found elsewhere at $20 or less.

This seller eventually started to list books above $5.00.... but it was too late for this seller to adjust to eBay.

However, when Half.com opened... he moved there and sold his books there...

cumos55 · ‎11-24-2016

The change with respect to stock photos and media changed several months ago.

Picture Policy violations were there a year or two ago..... and it probably all started with one big seller that somehow listed without gallery photos

cumos55 · ‎11-24-2016

My situation with Billing Currency is being addressed....

Will continue my contact through appropriate procedures..

It has been 6 months.... definitely time for a change.

Things can be frustrating

momcqueen · ‎11-24-2016

On the subject of good news, there has been an upgrade to the Best Offer functionality of the Bulk Editor, the absence of which I bemoaned this summer. Now we can set auto-accept or auto-decline levels for items from the comfort of the Bulk Edit tool rather than one at a time as it was. Major improvement. Awesome! Thanks.

raphael@ebay.com · ‎11-25-2016

@cumos55 wrote:

With respect to the Fee Illustrator for Books, DVDs & Movies, Music and Video Games

with 4000 listings fixed price listings and with a yearly subscription

on eBay Canada the total estimated fees are

http://www.fees.ebay.ca/feeweb/feeillustrator

No store C$197.50

Basic C$207.45

Premium C$209.95

Anchor C$299.95

On eBay.com

http://www.fees.ebay.com/feeweb/feeillustrator

It is the following numbers....

No store $1,185.00

Basic $769.95

Premium $359.95

Anchor $299.95

On eBay Canada the listings fee for all stores appears to be 5 cents.... Which is wrong.based on what the actual prices for eBay stores on eBay Canada are ........

http://pages.ebay.ca/sellerinformation/stores/Subscriptions.html

Insertion fees for listings with no store are 50 cents

Hi cumos55,

I have asked colleagues from the Selling team to look into this, but I haven't heard back yet. I think ypdc_dennis might be right when he says the fees are correct though.

raphael@ebay.com · ‎11-25-2016

@cumos55 wrote:

Billing Currency

All of my listings were changed from US to Canada over May 15 to June 15. My billing currency was changed to Canadian dollars on about May 18.

Final value fees are billed in Canadian dollars

But --- My Anchor store subscription is being billed in US dollars.

The cost for my Anchor store on eBay Canada should be $299.95 in Canadian dollars…. My store is registered on eBay Canada

Yet I am still billed in US dollars in the range of $220 to $235 US, and have been since June, and now for a total of 6 months

eBay has been contacted almost monthly for the last 4 months….. I was promised some form of communication whether an email or a telephone call… but … I was never contacted

Finally I did get someone on November 17 who appears to understand the problem … I did get an email on November 17, and a second email on November 18…. indicating that this situation was sent to the subscription team.

But there has been no further contact.. by anyone from eBay. It appears that things get lost …. and nothing seems to get adjusted

-----

Up until November I had US dollars in my Paypal account..

Now if I pay the US dollars amount I have to pay Paypal abou $10 - $11 to convert $300 Canadian to the US dollars amount on the bill in US dollars.

What is happening if any thing at all?????

I have asked a colleague to sort this out for you. They will be in touch.

raphael@ebay.com · ‎11-25-2016

@i.am.vivian wrote:

raphael@ebay.com wrote:

http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Buying-on-eBay/Why-are-there-two-different-Estimated-Delivery-Date-deadl...

Hi i.am.vivian,

The only way a seller can change the EDDs on their listings is by adding days to their handling time. Beyond that, the system calculates the EDDs based on item and buyer location + the shipping service selected.

Thank you for responding to my message. In this example then, does this mean that the correct eBay generated date for a claim was truly the December 12 and not November 18?